First multi-day severe weather threat of the season

MINNEAPOLIS (KMSP) - What a streak! After a cool, gray, and rainy start to May, the skies cleared and we had an amazing 9 days of dry weather as temperatures moved from the pleasant 60s to the warm 80s. But the pattern is shifting again. No, it’s not going back to the cool and damp conditions that started the month. We are headed for more of a summertime pattern with warm and muggy days that will lead to thunderstorm chances and our first multiday severe weather threat of the season. While the main threat for severe weather will remain well off to our south, isolated severe storms will be possible over the next few days as there is enough energy in the atmosphere to support some stronger storms.

The pattern change comes from an upper level low spinning to our northwest and a high pressure that’s holding stagnant across the southeast. This allows heat and moisture to be drawn up from the Gulf of Mexico and the southern US. This pushes dewpoints back into the humid category and gives fuel for thunderstorm to form. Combine that with little waves that are circulating around that upper level low, and you have the fuel and the spark for thunderstorms to erupt.

Now, it will not be an all-day everyday rain event. However, the chances for at least some isolated to widely scattered storms will be there each and every day right into next weekend. Because of this, some hefty rains could fall across Minnesota and neighboring states. Generally 1 to 3 inches of rain will be possible area wide, with up to 5” locally. Much of the region could use the rain as we have been fairly dry as of late. So while this sounds like a lot, widespread flooding is NOT expected at this time. If you want to get up to the minute info on any pending weather, you should download the Fox9 Weather App available on the IPhone and Android.